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Israel has raised the issue of Palestine with India, less than a month after New Delhi’s UN vote against the US’ decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of the Hebrew State.

“The two Prime Ministers discussed the developments pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process,” said the joint statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

Traditionally, India has been a supporter of the two-State solution in which both Israel and Palestine can co-exist peacefully as independent countries.

“They (Modi and Netanyahu) reaffirmed their support for an early resumption of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians for arriving at a comprehensive negotiated solution on all outstanding issues, based on mutual recognition and effective security arrangements, for establishing a just and durable peace in the region,” said the joint statement.

According to Vijay Gokhale, Secretary (External Relations), Ministry of External Affairs, the Israeli side expressed its position and so did India on the contentious issue.

“We have cleared our own position both on the status of Jerusalem and on Palestine. What the two sides agreed was that our relationship was much larger than any single issue and that we need to look at it holistically and while we continue to talk to each other, our relationship is not determined by this single issue,” Gokhale said. {Obviously, Israel is neither pleased with nor 'quite understanding' of Indian voting as articulated. The fact that several times now, this issue has been spoken about by the Israeli side means that it has taken this up diplomatically with us. Our pursuit of independent foreign policy, not bending to any pressure, has probably been demonstrated if any consolation is to be derived from that voting. After all, state's interest and that alone, should be the guiding factor in statecraft based on realpolitik. Unfortunately, there would be situations where there is another side to realpolitik too and the UN voting was one such.}

At the UN General Assembly last month, India was among the 128 countries that rejected US’ decision to shift its consulate to Jerusalem.

In May 2017, during the visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Modi had urged him to find a peaceful resolution to the issue.

India and Israel are celebrating 25 years of diplomatic ties this year. Netanyahu’s visit has triggered nationwide protests by Left parties, which have been agitating for a “Free Palestine.”

Person to person relationships last longer than govt. to govt. ones.This is what should be pursued.It will also bring about surprising results not envisaged before when mutual friends combine together for their mutual benefit.Indo- Israeli ties are at their zenith right now.The fact that for millennia Jews have always been wcomed in India without any trace of anti-Semitism, which exists even today in the white "democracies" like the US and Britain and is fast growing again in Europe, speaks for itself.Israel will not get a better friend than India.

chetak wrote:Modi Govt's very public and very prominent reception of Benjamin Netanyahu has completely negated India's vote, against Israel, at the UN.

There is no doubt in anyone's mind about where India stands on this matter as well as India's opinion of the perfidious palestinians and their shady shenanigans.

Not completely, sir.

How would you feel if i spited you in a public forum, but invited you at home and praised you.

Real politik is fine but some times we need to be very clear on where we stand

Islamic Pakistan does not have any qualms about publicing professing love for communist China.

We deal and manage relations with both the sunnis (Saudi and their ilk) and Shias (Iran).. so why the pussy-footing about the Israelis?

Being a democracy, we will not afraid of reminding of something wrong, but it does not mean we are not friends. This shows we have our own foreign policy which can not be influenced or bought by friends or foes.

Shanmukh wrote:Israeli perspective of what they want from us. A share in the arms import pie, a share in the Indian defence modernisation pie & de-hyphenation of Palestine-Israel & reduced ties with Iran. Well, about the last, they seem to be a bit more pragmatic.

Also, Haaretz is a left-liberal (Labor Party leaning) newspaper and therefore at odds with Netanyahu, who's the leader of the center-right Likud Party. Pretty much analogous to quoting ToI regarding NaMo.

Likud Party was founded by Ariel Sharon and Menachem Begin. Haaretz is more partial to center-left types like Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin.

rsingh wrote:Being a democracy, we will not afraid of reminding of something wrong, but it does not mean we are not friends. This shows we have our own foreign policy which can not be influenced or bought by friends or foes.

There are no friends (or cousins) in international politics, only interests - self and common. We are alone. As an independent nation (developing into a global power), we have our own foreign policy.. and it makes perfect sense that on some issues, it is purposely kept vague or ambigious. But on some common issues and threats, it is better to be clear, firm and consistent.

India has longstanding (and well known) policy of peaceful solution of Philistine problem. We made it clear in UN vote. On other hand we need Israeli know -how in defence and agriculture sectors..........that is what GOI is doing. Now what was your Point?

The longstanding policy has not paid any dividends, it’s time to move on. Fact is that Middle East issue will never be solved, it will last for as long as both those faiths exist, so there’s no point throwing good money after bad.

Oil is a poor excuse for the policy because it is sold on international markets at international prices. There is very little in terms of flexibility for such deals. Similarly, citizens working there is a poor excuse.

We should not be afraid of taking a stand that is not “morally superior” at the cost of strengthening our national interest. It was that same attitude with which we turned down the UNSC seat, lands in Kashmir that was won by sacrificing lives etc.. For all the immoral things that happen in the US and done by the US , they still lecture to us. Strength is respected

Oil is a poor excuse for the policy because it is sold on international markets at international prices. There is very little in terms of flexibility for such deals. Similarly, citizens working there is a poor excuse.

True, but big economies want certainty of uninterrupted supply. Imagine if we are at war with Bakistan and OIC decides to stop supply to us. Gulf is closer to us then US so low transport costs, otherwise everything is on International prices. Getting long term contract for Liquified gas at low price is result of our active policy.JMT

rsingh wrote:India has longstanding (and well known) policy of peaceful solution of Philistine problem. We made it clear in UN vote. On other hand we need Israeli know -how in defence and agriculture sectors..........that is what GOI is doing. Now what was your Point?

The point is that nothing is forever, least of all in international politics. We are a big and strong nation (and growing even bigger faster), if other smaller entities want a piece of our action and support, they should be made to earn it. The shrewd Israelis know it. With a nationalist but hard business minded Namo/BJP at the helm, look at the overtures they are making. That doesn't mean they do not deal with the chinese, far from it. On the other hand look at what the Palestinians have done recently, which might give some indications on what they might do, if and when, they get their independent state.

rsingh wrote:True, but big economies want certainty of uninterrupted supply. Imagine if we are at war with Bakistan and OIC decides to stop supply to us. Gulf is closer to us then US so low transport costs, otherwise everything is on International prices. Getting long term contract for Liquified gas at low price is result of our active policy.JMT

You are absolutely correct. But one has to be aware that nothing is guaranteed in conflict. This is why we need to establish strategic reserves.. I know we have 30 days worth (?) But we need to up that to a years worth.

A contract at geopolitical level doesn't guarantee oil. Just like china decides which international judgements it wishes to adhere to, pak doesn't follow a ruling by ICJ etc even though at the time of signing up they agreed to play by the rules. If we are at war with pak and the gulf decides that it is in their interest to support pak, then the contract will be thrown in the dustbin.

I'm just saying if we have to lie or promise the moon to someone to get what we need then so be it. But at the end of the day we should gain something more than moral high ground from it.

IMHO though, the support for Palestine is more to do with vote bank politics (by INC from nehru times) than being on the moral high ground

the final details and scope of the deal are still in the process of being worked out

current talks are trending in a positive direction, and more details will be disclosed later.

The Indian defence ministry has been strongly pushing for transfer of technology in procuring various weapons and other platforms from foreign defence majors as part of its broad policy initiative to encourage domestic defence industry.

Official sources in New Delhi had earlier indicated that the proposal to acquire the missile system faced hurdles when Israeli side apparently expressed reservations in ensuring full transfer of technology as per the provisions of the 'Make in India' initiative.

Bart S wrote:^I liked how he smartly linked the Spike deal to his 'friendship with Modi', in public. Nice way of putting the pressure on the PM by making it appear that he had staked his personal honour on the success of the deal. https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/953700846847627264

If it was not Spike he would have gone for something else to pile pressure as he can't show that he came back with nothing to show. So PM cancelled the deal first then Netanyahu came and suddenly deal is on track !! Win win for both countries and press will sit down counting eggs..lol

Suraj wrote:Also, Haaretz is a left-liberal (Labor Party leaning) newspaper and therefore at odds with Netanyahu, who's the leader of the center-right Likud Party. Pretty much analogous to quoting ToI regarding NaMo.

Likud Party was founded by Ariel Sharon and Menachem Begin. Haaretz is more partial to center-left types like Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin.

The worst escalation of violence for years.15 Palestinians killed and over 1000 injured in Gaza clashes.Israel has deployed over 100 snipers to prevent the border barrier from being demolished.Bibi N is also being heavily criticised by several ex- Mossad/ intel chiefs for his handling of affairs of state.This is bound to give a fresh impetus to the already inflamed Arab street and find new recruits to the likes of ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hamas, etc.

X Posted from the UAV’s thread to the Military Acquisitions, Indian Navy and the Indo-Israel threads.

Mahindra Defence press release regards joining hands with Aeronautics Ltd of Israel “to offer the maritime version of Orbiter 4 for the Indian Navy”, The Orbiter 4 is a Naval Shipborne UAV:

Mahindra Defence and Aeronautics Limited Israel to Partner for Shipborne UAVsChennai, April 11, 2018: Mahindra Defence and Aeronautics of Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding to partner for Naval Shipborne UAVs. Aeronautics and Mahindra will offer a UAV system which can be launched and recovered from Indian warships.

Aeronautics, a leading manufacturer of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is an Israeli public listed company, and is a key player in the defence domain. Aeronautics is the OEM of Orbiter series of UAVs which has been sold in many countries globally.

The Aeronautics Orbiter 4 is an advanced multi-mission platform with an ability to carry and operate two different payloads simultaneously. With an open architecture, the Orbiter 4 can be specially adjusted to the needs of each mission. Among the different payloads the Orbiter 4 can carry are Maritime patrol radar (MPR), Cellular interception sensor, Satellite communication, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Automatic Identification System (AIS) and advanced electro-optic payload. Orbiter 4 capabilities include maximum endurance of up to 24 hours, maximum take-off weight of 50 Kgs, maximum flight altitude of 18,000 feet while operating different payloads.

Mahindra Defence and Aeronautics have entered into this partnership to offer the maritime version of Orbiter 4 for the Indian Navy. The UAV will carry state of the art sensor payloads as required by Indian Navy. The UAV will be capable of being launched and recovered from small warships that do not have a helicopter deck including small warships which are around 50 m in length. This UAV will be a force multiplier for the Indian Navy.

Mr Amos Mathan, CEO Aeronautics LTD said, “Aeronautics has entered into this partnership to offer the maritime version of Orbiter 4 to Indian Navy. We will work together with Mahindra Defence to manufacture Orbiter UAVs in India. We are ready for transfer of technology and transfer of production line in India. This is a sign of Aeronautics’ commitment to India by offering our newest and most advanced aerial solutions for operations by Indian Navy - one of the best navies in the world.”

Mr SP Shukla, Group President, Aerospace & Defence Sector, Mahindra Group and Chairman, Mahindra Defence, said that “Mahindra group has been supporting Make in India initiative whole heartedly. We always identify high quality products and enter into partnerships that we believe will bring maximum value to our defence forces. We believe that Indian armed forces should get the state of the art products while we develop skill and competency for defence manufacturing indigenously. Specifically, we have entered into this partnership to address a range of possibilities from offsets to manufacturing in India which includes transfer of technology and life time support of the product.”

About Aeronautics LTD

With its UAS’s deployed by over 75 defense, military, and homeland security forces in more than 50 different countries around the world, Aeronautics group provides unmanned aerial solutions for the most advanced Defense Para-military and HLS missions. Integrating surveillance equipment with network information, Aeronautics’ unmanned aerial systems are ideal for land, sea and air operations, and have already accumulated hundreds of thousands of operational flight hours worldwide.

Mahindra Defence has companies engaged in catering to needs of all three wings of Defence forces – Army, Air Force and Navy. Their product range includes armoured vehicles, underwater warfare equipment, avionics and surveillance equipment’s etc. Mahindra Defence is also poised to enter the field of defence aviation and has interest in building helicopters and aircraft for the armed forces. Through Land Systems units in India and UAE, Mahindra Defence has been supplying customized armoured vehicles to the Indian Army, Para Military Forces and overseas customers. Naval Systems unit based in Pune has been supplying decoy & torpedo launchers, large composite structures for defence applications to the Indian Navy etc. Mahindra Defence is also engaged in Defence Electronics and Avionics through a JV with Telephonics.

None of these protested when NM was discriminated against for issue of visa during the UPA administration, in fact, all of the signatories, along with countless other gaddars rejoiced that very fact and now they write letters to the PM??

Naturally, among the usual suspects, one can see foul mouthed john dayal, free loading as though it is his birth right

One afternoon in the spring of 2015, a senior State Department official named Frank Lowenstein paged through a government briefing book and noticed a map that he had never seen before. Lowenstein was the Obama Administration’s special envoy on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, a position that exposed him to hundreds of maps of the West Bank. (One adorned his State Department office.)

Typically, those maps made Jewish settlements and outposts look tiny compared to the areas where the Palestinians lived. The new map in the briefing book was different. It showed large swaths of territory that were off limits to Palestinian development and filled in space between the settlements and the outposts. At that moment, Lowenstein told me, he saw “the forest for the trees”—not only were Palestinian population centers cut off from one another but there was virtually no way to squeeze a viable Palestinian state into the areas that remained. Lowenstein’s team did the math. When the settlement zones, the illegal outposts, and the other areas off limits to Palestinian development were consolidated, they covered almost sixty per cent of the West Bank.

Lowenstein showed the small map to Secretary of State John Kerry and said, “Look what’s really going on here.” Kerry brought the map to his next meeting with President Obama. The map was too small for everyone in the Situation Room to see, so Lowenstein had a series of larger maps made. The information was then verified by U.S. intelligence agencies. Obama’s Presidency was winding down, but Lowenstein figured that he could use the time left to raise awareness about what the Israelis were doing. “One day, everyone’s going to wake up and go, ‘Wait a minute, we’ve got to stop this to at least have the possibility of a two-state solution,’ ” Lowenstein said.

Alarmed by Israeli actions depicted in the maps, Obama decided to abstain on a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the settlements, clearing the way for its passage. It would be Obama’s final act of defiance against Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, before Donald Trump took office and put in place policies that were far more accepting of the settlers.

None of these protested when NM was discriminated against for issue of visa during the UPA administration, in fact, all of the signatories, along with countless other gaddars rejoiced that very fact and now they write letters to the PM??

Naturally, among the usual suspects, one can see foul mouthed john dayal, free loading as though it is his birth right

The nation-state bill was first introduced in 2011 by a center-right member of the Knesset, Avi Dichter. The core goal was to establish the unique Jewish right to an Israeli homeland as one of Israel’s basic laws—effectively, its foundational, constitutional rules. When the final version passed this week, Dichter declared that “we are enshrining this important bill into a law today to prevent even the slightest thought, let alone attempt, to transform Israel to a country of all its citizens,” according to Ynet, an Israeli news website.

We, the Masorti/Conservative Movement representing two million Jews around the world, are outraged by the arrest this morning of Rabbi Dov Haiyun of Moriah Congregation in Haifa, who was awoken at 5:30 am by police for the "crime" of officiating at a wedding outside the authority of the Israeli ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate. Rabbi Haiyun potentially faces two years in prison for officiating at this wedding.

Rabbi Haiyun, who was ordained by the Masorti/Conservative movement at Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem, is the first to be arrested for this act since the law forbidding any rabbi outside the Rabbinate to officiate at a wedding was passed in 2013. Today's actions against Rabbi Haiyun marks a new and dangerous step in the ongoing attack on religious freedom and civil liberties in Israel; one, thankfully that was thwarted by order of Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit.

We uphold the right of rabbis of all Jewish streams, not just those under the auspices of the Chief Rabbinate, to conduct a wedding ‘according to the law of Moses and (People) Israel.’ We stand in solidarity with Rabbi Haiyun and all our colleagues in Israel who bring couples together in love and marriage according to the traditions of the Jewish people.

Analysis Israel Is Giving China the Keys to Its Largest Port – and the U.S. Navy May Abandon IsraelChina will operate Haifa port, near Israel's alleged nuclear-armed submarines, and it seems no one in Israel thought about the strategic ramificationshttps://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premiu ... -1.6470527

Ephraim Halevy, the former head of Mossad, Israel’s secret service agency, has voiced concerns over the risks that China’s growing presence in Israel pose to national security. “If Haifa becomes a port—the civilian part of it—which is directly controlled by the Chinese in a civilian mode, not a military one, nevertheless it is more than just a symbolic foot on the ground for the Chinese in a very strategic area of Israel,” Halevy told The Media Line.

“That, of course, raises a lot of questions because of the policies of China with emphasis on its growing and spreading relations with Iran,” Halevy added. Turning to Israeli relations with the US over the matter, Halevy said: “I cannot recall there is any other place in the world where such a combination would exist. The US has a series of ports in various key areas around the world, but I have not seen yet any particular evidence of there being a port which is jointly shepherded by China and the US.”